How do you handle a Referral,
Having spent 20 plus years with various Fortune 500 Technology companies, I keep in touch with my past co-workers via Linked In. Earlier this month I was contacted by a former friend/ co-worker via Linked In as he was leaving the Bay Area and noticed that I sold real estate. He asked if I worked in his upscale neighborhood near Silicon Valley.
Before responding to his message, I immediately set upon finding a good agent to refer since I don't work his community. I contacted another office within our brand/franchise and the broker referred me to an agent who had supposedly had several listings in the area and knew it inside and out - GREAT.
I talked with the agent and gave her a bit of background - but mentioned that my only contact with the owner was via email and that I didn't have his cell phone number at this point. I did give her his name so she could research the property and get a feel for the potential. I told her that I would give her information to my friend, obtain his contact info and flesh out the timeframes.
While responding to his email and telling him that I didn't work the area but had a fabulous agent that did - I received a message from the agent. She had gone ahead and did a search for their home phone number and talked to the wife. The wife said that they were working with a friend and probably wouldn't be selling for 18 - 24 months - a basic brush off. I was shocked that she did this just 15 minutes after we talked and that I hadn't even sent my response back to my former co-worker. Her aggressive style was a turn off to me and a turn off to my friend. I give her credit for "just doing it" and being on top of it, but it made her appear ultra hungry. I'm still in contact with my friend but now sure how to handle the referral - maybe its a moot point but just wondered how other handle it when they get a referral like this.
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